Tender all RFA. Sign Willie Young Long Term to fair contract - Can offer Bell Longterm Low value also, or just 1 more yr to prove himself. Fox & Silva get 1 yr only. Spievey I think you let go but with how short staffed we are in Secondary I expect them to tender him low and wont be mad. (i just expect him to be a backup).

As to the FAs:

S Louis Delmas - Resign but with Playtime Incentives (IMO) to protect the teamS Erik Coleman - Only as a 2nd BU and if Desperate. Not until after draft if at all.DE Cliff Avril - Offer what he is worth (8m/season at best) - Let him Walk if not acceptedDE Lawrence Jackson - Resign to Similar Contract as current - Rotational DL Pay - If Avril goes you can pay him a bit more but not much.RT Gosder Cherilus - Hopefully thi isnt just a Contract year and he actually finally gets it. Pay him whats hes worth as a Mid-grade RT.RT Corey Hilliard - Keep on Backup PayscaleG Dylan Gandy - Only Keep if you dont Draft/bring in a FA Backup Upgrade to roll to the future with.LB Justin Durant - Keep, just dont overpay as he isnt a top 10 at his position and gets injured a little easilyLB DeAndre Levy - Resign at the right price - Replaceable but why make LB a weakness when the 3 of them are fine there.LB Ashlee Palmer - Strong BU for LB spots, keep if price is rightCB Chris Houston - Must Keep, Possibly will have to overpay slightlyCB Drayton Florence - Keep as Veteran Depth at MinimumCB Jacob Lacey - Not Impressed, Let him walk or 5th CB at Vet MinK Jason Hanson - Still got <3 , Would keep at Low Price but wont be angry if they move on. Deserves chance to retire as a LionP Nick Harris - let him walk, again.RB Kevin Smith - Fine keeping as 3rd Down Back for vet min but wont be mad if they replace him with a low round/udfa/lowprice FA "Best Clone"DT Corey Williams - Keep but Only for a low price shorter contract as Rotational DL, DT Sammie Hill - Keep as our 3rd DT of the future, Pay mid-level price if necessary even though he isnt a starter.

Tender all RFA. Sign Willie Young Long Term to fair contract - Can offer Bell Longterm Low value also, or just 1 more yr to prove himself. Fox & Silva get 1 yr only. Spievey I think you let go but with how short staffed we are in Secondary I expect them to tender him low and wont be mad. (i just expect him to be a backup).

As to the FAs:

S Louis Delmas - Resign but with Playtime Incentives (IMO) to protect the teamS Erik Coleman - Only as a 2nd BU and if Desperate. Not until after draft if at all.DE Cliff Avril - Offer what he is worth (8m/season at best) - Let him Walk if not acceptedDE Lawrence Jackson - Resign to Similar Contract as current - Rotational DL Pay - If Avril goes you can pay him a bit more but not much.RT Gosder Cherilus - Hopefully thi isnt just a Contract year and he actually finally gets it. Pay him whats hes worth as a Mid-grade RT.RT Corey Hilliard - Keep on Backup PayscaleG Dylan Gandy - Only Keep if you dont Draft/bring in a FA Backup Upgrade to roll to the future with.LB Justin Durant - Keep, just dont overpay as he isnt a top 10 at his position and gets injured a little easilyLB DeAndre Levy - Resign at the right price - Replaceable but why make LB a weakness when the 3 of them are fine there.LB Ashlee Palmer - Strong BU for LB spots, keep if price is rightCB Chris Houston - Must Keep, Possibly will have to overpay slightlyCB Drayton Florence - Keep as Veteran Depth at MinimumCB Jacob Lacey - Not Impressed, Let him walk or 5th CB at Vet MinK Jason Hanson - Still got <3 , Would keep at Low Price but wont be angry if they move on. Deserves chance to retire as a LionP Nick Harris - let him walk, again.RB Kevin Smith - Fine keeping as 3rd Down Back for vet min but wont be mad if they replace him with a low round/udfa/lowprice FA "Best Clone"DT Corey Williams - Keep but Only for a low price shorter contract as Rotational DL, DT Sammie Hill - Keep as our 3rd DT of the future, Pay mid-level price if necessary even though he isnt a starter.

Durant and Houston, in my opinion, have had excellent seasons so far. Durant isn't a flashy player and LBs don't command lots of money so I imagine he can be resigned--I sure hope the Lions can keep him. Re-signing Houston could be tougher. I think he's set himself up for a decent pay day. He's only making $3M this year and he'll might make double that next year.

I think Avril is gone.

I'm torn on Delmas. The defense plays so much better when he's in the lineup...but he's so rarely healthy, it is tough to count on him being available every week. I wouldn't be surprised if the Lions use the franchise tag on him--the tag for safeties is cheap and wouldn't be a big deal. I'm not saying they "will" do this or that they "should," but I would understand the decision.

And it might be time to use a draft pick on a punter.

_________________Proud member of the Contract Extension for Schwartz Fan Club.

Tender all RFA. Sign Willie Young Long Term to fair contract - Can offer Bell Longterm Low value also, or just 1 more yr to prove himself. Fox & Silva get 1 yr only. Spievey I think you let go but with how short staffed we are in Secondary I expect them to tender him low and wont be mad. (i just expect him to be a backup).

As to the FAs:

S Louis Delmas - Resign but with Playtime Incentives (IMO) to protect the teamS Erik Coleman - Only as a 2nd BU and if Desperate. Not until after draft if at all.DE Cliff Avril - Offer what he is worth (8m/season at best) - Let him Walk if not acceptedDE Lawrence Jackson - Resign to Similar Contract as current - Rotational DL Pay - If Avril goes you can pay him a bit more but not much.RT Gosder Cherilus - Hopefully thi isnt just a Contract year and he actually finally gets it. Pay him whats hes worth as a Mid-grade RT.RT Corey Hilliard - Keep on Backup PayscaleG Dylan Gandy - Only Keep if you dont Draft/bring in a FA Backup Upgrade to roll to the future with.LB Justin Durant - Keep, just dont overpay as he isnt a top 10 at his position and gets injured a little easilyLB DeAndre Levy - Resign at the right price - Replaceable but why make LB a weakness when the 3 of them are fine there.LB Ashlee Palmer - Strong BU for LB spots, keep if price is rightCB Chris Houston - Must Keep, Possibly will have to overpay slightlyCB Drayton Florence - Keep as Veteran Depth at MinimumCB Jacob Lacey - Not Impressed, Let him walk or 5th CB at Vet MinK Jason Hanson - Still got <3 , Would keep at Low Price but wont be angry if they move on. Deserves chance to retire as a LionP Nick Harris - let him walk, again.RB Kevin Smith - Fine keeping as 3rd Down Back for vet min but wont be mad if they replace him with a low round/udfa/lowprice FA "Best Clone"DT Corey Williams - Keep but Only for a low price shorter contract as Rotational DL, DT Sammie Hill - Keep as our 3rd DT of the future, Pay mid-level price if necessary even though he isnt a starter.

Durant and Houston, in my opinion, have had excellent seasons so far. Durant isn't a flashy player and LBs don't command lots of money so I imagine he can be resigned--I sure hope the Lions can keep him. Re-signing Houston could be tougher. I think he's set himself up for a decent pay day. He's only making $3M this year and he'll might make double that next year.

I think Avril is gone.

I'm torn on Delmas. The defense plays so much better when he's in the lineup...but he's so rarely healthy, it is tough to count on him being available every week. I wouldn't be surprised if the Lions use the franchise tag on him--the tag for safeties is cheap and wouldn't be a big deal. I'm not saying they "will" do this or that they "should," but I would understand the decision.

And it might be time to use a draft pick on a punter.

I'm thinking resigning Delmas is a priority, as the Lions defense is a different animal when he's back there. He just needs a partner in crime, so he's not the only one making plays.

Tender all RFA. Sign Willie Young Long Term to fair contract - Can offer Bell Longterm Low value also, or just 1 more yr to prove himself. Fox & Silva get 1 yr only. Spievey I think you let go but with how short staffed we are in Secondary I expect them to tender him low and wont be mad. (i just expect him to be a backup).

As to the FAs:

S Louis Delmas - Resign but with Playtime Incentives (IMO) to protect the teamS Erik Coleman - Only as a 2nd BU and if Desperate. Not until after draft if at all.DE Cliff Avril - Offer what he is worth (8m/season at best) - Let him Walk if not acceptedDE Lawrence Jackson - Resign to Similar Contract as current - Rotational DL Pay - If Avril goes you can pay him a bit more but not much.RT Gosder Cherilus - Hopefully thi isnt just a Contract year and he actually finally gets it. Pay him whats hes worth as a Mid-grade RT.RT Corey Hilliard - Keep on Backup PayscaleG Dylan Gandy - Only Keep if you dont Draft/bring in a FA Backup Upgrade to roll to the future with.LB Justin Durant - Keep, just dont overpay as he isnt a top 10 at his position and gets injured a little easilyLB DeAndre Levy - Resign at the right price - Replaceable but why make LB a weakness when the 3 of them are fine there.LB Ashlee Palmer - Strong BU for LB spots, keep if price is rightCB Chris Houston - Must Keep, Possibly will have to overpay slightlyCB Drayton Florence - Keep as Veteran Depth at MinimumCB Jacob Lacey - Not Impressed, Let him walk or 5th CB at Vet MinK Jason Hanson - Still got <3 , Would keep at Low Price but wont be angry if they move on. Deserves chance to retire as a LionP Nick Harris - let him walk, again.RB Kevin Smith - Fine keeping as 3rd Down Back for vet min but wont be mad if they replace him with a low round/udfa/lowprice FA "Best Clone"DT Corey Williams - Keep but Only for a low price shorter contract as Rotational DL, DT Sammie Hill - Keep as our 3rd DT of the future, Pay mid-level price if necessary even though he isnt a starter.

Durant and Houston, in my opinion, have had excellent seasons so far. Durant isn't a flashy player and LBs don't command lots of money so I imagine he can be resigned--I sure hope the Lions can keep him. Re-signing Houston could be tougher. I think he's set himself up for a decent pay day. He's only making $3M this year and he'll might make double that next year.

I think Avril is gone.

I'm torn on Delmas. The defense plays so much better when he's in the lineup...but he's so rarely healthy, it is tough to count on him being available every week. I wouldn't be surprised if the Lions use the franchise tag on him--the tag for safeties is cheap and wouldn't be a big deal. I'm not saying they "will" do this or that they "should," but I would understand the decision.

And it might be time to use a draft pick on a punter.

I'm thinking resigning Delmas is a priority, as the Lions defense is a different animal when he's back there. He just needs a partner in crime, so he's not the only one making plays.

Not to hate on Delmas cuz I like him, but what "plays" is he making that hes such a priority? I agree the defense plays better WHEN HES ON THE FIELD though.

The biggest need is defensive end. Avril is likely gone and KVB is old. Schwartz places a premium on the Dline, and DE is a premium position. So DE, hands down.

Safety is a close second.

Then interior line. Raiola is old. Peterman sucks.

Fourth is CB. Need one that can stay healthy.

Fifth is a speed back. Bell's career is over.

Sixth is a WR. Titus' future is uncertain, Burleson is old.

Seventh is LB. The Lions have no one "special" at the position.

Eighth is just general depth. Need quality backups.

Of course, this is all irrelevant. Mayhew drafts for talent.

November 25th, 2012, 1:03 am

kdsberman

Team MVP

Joined: February 20th, 2007, 10:51 pmPosts: 3422Location: Saginaw, MI

Re: Biggest Need next year?

Blueskies wrote:

The biggest need is defensive end. Avril is likely gone and KVB is old. Schwartz places a premium on the Dline, and DE is a premium position. So DE, hands down.

Safety is a close second.

Then interior line. Raiola is old. Peterman sucks.

Fourth is CB. Need one that can stay healthy.

Fifth is a speed back. Bell's career is over.

Sixth is a WR. Titus' future is uncertain, Burleson is old.

Seventh is LB. The Lions have no one "special" at the position.

Eighth is just general depth. Need quality backups.

Of course, this is all irrelevant. Mayhew drafts for talent.

I agree with most of your post, except I still say safety is still definitely our number 1 priority by far. Possibly both safeties, but definitely a strong safety. I truly believe it is hard to argue this.

But you say defensive end is a big need, I agree. And as I mentioned in another post, I am very high on Bjoern Werner out of Florida St. Perfect fit for this defense. Strong, super quick off the line and a guy that never stops. He reminds me of KVB in his prime. If anybody hasn't watched him play I highly recommend you do so.

If the Lions could retain Avril, then DE wouldn't be that big of a need. Also, IIRC KVB restructured his contract so that 2013 will be his last year, but it will be a big hit on the cap. Therefore, next year could mean no KVB and no Avril.

If the Schwartz regime is still in place (very likely) then you'll be down 2 DEs on a defensive scheme that places a huge premium on the pass rush.

At any rate, I would expect the Lions to commit significant resources to another young DE. Usually, DEs take a couple years to mature.

Former LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu announced Thursday he is entering the next NFL draft.

Scouts Inc. on Mathieu

MuenchTyrann Mathieu has plenty of talent but his draft prospects will be hurt by size limitations and character flags, Steve Muench writes. Blog Insider

In a statement announcing his decision, Mathieu said, "it is time for me to move forward."

Mathieu thanked his parents and coach Les Miles in his statement, as well as his former LSU teammates.

"I am sorry that I was not able to complete my journey at LSU, but I will always support LSU in any way I can. To my teammates, you are my brothers. You have kept me going. I will do my best to make you all proud of me," he said.

Mathieu, known as the "Honey Badger," was a Heisman Trophy finalist known for his knack for making plays last year. But the 20-year-old Mathieu was suspended for this season due to a substance abuse issue he has continued to work on.

Tyrann Mathieu finished fifth in the 2011 Heisman Trophy voting, the third-best finish by a defensive player in the last 20 years. Only Charles Woodson (1st, '97), Ndamukong Suh (4th, '09) and Marvin Jones (4th, '92) had better showings.

Mathieu was arrested last month on a possession of marijuana charge. He also was dismissed from the football team in August for failing a drug test and entered a treatment program run by former NBA player John Lucas.

Instead of transferring to another lower-division school to play this season, Mathieu re-enrolled at LSU but is not playing football.

Mathieu thanked LSU fans for their continued support and said he was working on his personal problems.

"I am committed to tackling my personal issues and will work to better myself every day as a man first and only then as a football player. I will always consider myself an LSU Tiger," he said.

Anybody want to take a chance on him in later rounds? How far do you think he slips? I could see him going anywhere from 4th to undrafted, depending on how his off field issues look.

November 29th, 2012, 6:29 pm

DJ-B

Rookie Player of the Year

Joined: April 5th, 2007, 5:51 pmPosts: 2327

Re: Biggest Need next year?

Liked his talents in college tho he was a tiny bit overrated by the end thanks to the Hype and awesome moniker... but his issue specifically is Marijuana, so I dont want him anywhere near this team.

I wouldn't touch him with any draft pick. He got busted for Mary Jane just a month ago. Well after he was cut from the team for the same issue. He hasn't yet learned from it. He probably won't learn from it any time soon.

I would take a chance on him if we could get him as a UFA though.

December 1st, 2012, 1:33 am

kdsberman

Team MVP

Joined: February 20th, 2007, 10:51 pmPosts: 3422Location: Saginaw, MI

Re: Biggest Need next year?

I believe Mathieu is a good COLLEGE football player, but not NFL player. Just like Tebow.

Besides, he is the LAST thing the Lions need, another guy with character issues.